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I would be lost without my little light source!

Salt Lamps - The Natural Air Purifier

**** Background & history....

I have always been someone who doesn't like to have the lights on full brightness whilst trying to relax in the winter evenings and used to just sit in the dark with on the TV lighting up the room because we do not have dimmer switches fitted.

Two November's ago, we went to 'Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland' and stumbled across a stall selling 'salt lamps'. We were with my in-laws at the time and they decided it would be ideal for our home and brought it as a Christmas present for us.

The price was £25.00 for a medium sized lamp and the salt lamps varied in prices dependant upon size. The salt lamp had a plug; it also came with the bulb which was an added bonus. Prices can vary depending on where you purchase them and at what size, Definitely shop around for the best price. They do weigh quite a lot.

**** About Salt Lamps....

Our salt lamp came with a pamphlet which state how salt lamps are made from natural Himalayan crystal salt rocks which were formed millions of years ago; the salt lamps are unusual shapes as they retain their rock like formations. Ours look like a miniature mountain!

**** What is so good about them?....

People believe that the harmful atoms (smog) from electricity such as TVs, radios, microwaves, computers etc are to blame for illnesses, headaches, stress, allergies, asthma and that the salt lamps produces negative ones to kind of counter-act the positive ones whilst also adding to the mood and also for colour therapy.

Negative atoms are essential for us because they kill bacteria, purify the air and just increase the quality of the air pollution around us. In a sense they balance the atmosphere in the room.

By 'heating' the salt lamp it acts twice as well. You can place a candle or a bulb into the Salt lamp to produce the warm orange glow. Ours comes with a bulb.

**** My thoughts....

I am not entirely sure on this whole positive/negative atoms idea however, it is great as the glow from the lamps helps me to unwind and relax after a busy day at work.

The colour produced from my salt lamp reminds me of the colour of fire in an old-fashioned fire place and it gives me that warm 'cosy' feeling.

**** Finally...

Overall it adds to the ambiance of the room, it is relaxing to be around and it provides calming light and it does comfort me slightly when I am feeling in need of some good energy!

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My brother has decided to go travelling abroad, and he and his girlfriend have been distributing belongings around various friends and family, as they are giving up their rental home to travel . One of the item I ended up with was this Salt Crystal Lamp (which is actually around 5 years old now, and used to belong to my dad before my brother ).

These lamps are made of natural salt crystals, so they vary in size, colour, and shape . The one I actually have is very large, weighing 7.6 kilos according to my bathroom scales, and when not illuminated, looks a pale peachy colour, with darker reddish strands running through it. The entire surface is quite rough, and there are a couple of sharp edges, and mine is quite tall and narrow, with a larger bulge on one side .

When lit up, it glows a really warm orange colour - it doesn't give off enough light to read by, but really adds a nice warm glow to a room, with the natural variations in the salt crystal meaning that rather than being a solid orange colour all over, there are all different shades of orange and red, almost like a flame effect . The wooden base is polished smooth, and is a nice medium dark wood, which goes nicely with the salt lamp .

This has been used in various places around the house . My brother used to have it in his conservatory, but then moved it after the lamp started to sweat and then to shrink due to condensation . It is worth noticing that the lamp does draw in moisture from the air, and does sweat in steamy environments! We now have it in a nice cool shady area of our bedroom, as mood lighting for those more romantic moments .

There are apparently some health benefits of these natural salt lamps - they produce negatively charged ions, which can help relieve rheumatism, allergies, respiratory ailments, sleeplessness, migraine, high blood pressure, physical and psychological disorders, and mild depression. I can't say that I've noticed any particular health benefits, so I treat these claims with a pinch of salt .

I'm not sure how much was originally paid for this lamp, as it's pretty old now, but prices vary between £15- £70 depending on size.

Would I recommend one of these ? Well, I can't say anything about the claimed health benefits, but I do like the warm cheery glow this gives off, and as a nice, purely decorative item, it adds a nice touch to my bedroom. 4 stars .

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Can't be sure it does have health benefits, but this is a lovely lamp.

Whilst browsing on Amazon.co.uk recently looking at lamps, I came across these Himalayan Salt Crystal Lamps and found myself quite intrigued by them.

Not only did I think they looked nice and unusual, but also after reading up on the product information I decided I would buy one.The product promised that these Salt Lamps produce both gentle heat and negatively-charged ions. Making it easy for you to bring the benefits of health spas into your own home.

Common benefits of owning a Salt Lamp are said to be the reduction in symptoms of common ailments such as rheumatism, respiratory ailments, insomnia, migraine, high blood pressure, allergies, physical and psychological disorders such as depression.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SO HOW DO THEY WORK?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Salt crystal lamps are made from salt crystal rocks which were formed by nature hundreds of millions of years ago and mined underground in the foothills of Himalayas.Explosives are not used when mining the salt crystal to help preserve it and all lamps are made by hand to retain natural shape and preserve the salt.This makes every Salt Lamp unique in that no two are the same.

As you place a bulb inside the lamp, it gives off a golden-orange glow and gently heats up producing healthy negative ions to purify the air you breathe.The salt crystal lamp blends the negative ions with excess positive ions. As the lamp becomes warm, it absorbs moisture and the crystal will become damp on the surface. This builds up the ion field.

The colours of the salt crystal stones also have a healing effect as the therapeutic crystals benefit the epidermal layer of our skin. Tests on children suffering from ADHD claim to have have shown that after only one week of exposure to crystal salt lamps, their symptoms subsided. After removing the lamps, the symptoms returned.

For those of us who have little or no health concerns or ailments however, a Salt Lamp is also said to be beneficial to our general health, as TV's, computers, tobacco smoke and many other by-products of modern living produce positively ionsed air, which is not good for us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THE SALT CRYSTAL LAMP~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having read about the benefits of owning a Salt Lamp and also thinking they looked quite pretty, I purchased one from Amazon at a cost of £15.99 with free delivery, which I think is a very reasonable price.

The lamp arrived, extremely well packed and also very heavy! Each lamp weighs around 2 -3kg and they are approx 15 -20cm in height and 10 -15cm in diameter. As each lamp is different, the weight and size varies.Its natural colours range from white to various shades of apricot orange. The salt does come off onto your hands so be careful how you handle it and where you place it whilst unpacking the cable.

As well as the lamp, a 15 watt E14 bulb and the plug and cable are also in the box.Instructions are provided on how to insert the bulb into the lamp.This was very straightforward. The bulb has to be inserted into its holder then you will notice two metal clips either side which you bend upwards then squeeze the bulb and holder up inside the lamp. Once securely in place, the wire will fit snugly under the bevelled edge on the base.

Then you can switch on your lamp.You must be careful not to allow your lamp to become wet as this will affect its properties. However, if this does happen, as long as the electrical cable is not wet also, you should leave the lamp switched on to dry it out.

It is said that these lamps are beneficial when placed near a TV or computer. I placed mine near my TV. They should not be used in rooms where there is a high moisture level such as kitchens and of course, bathrooms.

~~~~~~~~~~~DOES IT WORK?~~~~~~~~~~~

Well I have been using my lamp for a few weeks now and my partner, although very cynical about this sort of thing I have to say, thinks he has noticed some slight benefits. He stated he feels somewhat better generally and hasn't had any headaches. He has suffered a few health problems in the last year and whilst he currently feels a little better on a general day to day basis, has of course also acknowledged this could be entirely coincidental.

Personally, I do not suffer from headaches often, nor do I have any specific ailments, but I am of the opinion that it cannot do any harm to have one of these lamps. It can only be beneficial, even if you just take comfort from the lovely golden orange glow it gives off when switched on.After all, I didn't buy it specifically for any of its ionising claims or health benefits, I bought it to use as a lamp, because I simply liked the look of it. So bearing that in mind, I am not disappointed in any way with my purchase.

It does look unusual, but I really like my lamp. It looks lovely when switched on and I am pleased I bought one. I do find its glow very comforting.

Himalayan Salt Crystal Lamps are currently available from Amazon priced between £15 - £20.